1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to agricultural implements, and, more particularly, to agricultural implements with folding toolbars.
2. Description of the Related Art
Agricultural planting implements, which are towed by a tractor or other work vehicle, are commonly used to plant rows of seeds in soil. Typically, modern planting implements may include a chassis that carries one or more main seed hoppers that provide seed through an air stream to multiple auxiliary seed hoppers that are associated with one or more seed dispensing row units, which are distributed across the width of the implement. A pneumatic system carried by the chassis may supply positive or negative pressurized air to transport the seeds or other particulate from the storage tanks to the row units. The row units may respectively open a trench in the field, deposit seeds via a metering device, close the trench, and pack soil onto the seed in order to efficiently plant numerous rows of seeds.
As modern planting implements are becoming larger and larger, many planting implements include convertible frames such that they can be pivoted, folded, or stacked in between a working position and a transport position. Pivoting planters may have a telescoping hitch assembly which extends outwardly as the entire toolbar frame rotates about a centrally located pivot axis in order have the length of the planter be parallel with the direction of travel. Folding planters may forwardly and/or rearwardly fold one or more wing frame members to minimize the lateral width of the planter. Stacking planters may include a center frame and a pair of foldable wing portions which vertically stack above the center frame.
The configuration of a planter may be dictated by various design constraints such as planting width, ease of conversion, certain transportation requirements, etc. Folding and pivot planters may have the advantage of a greater planting width while being narrow for transportation purposes; however, the distance between the planter and the tractor may be undesirable in certain field conditions. Stackable planters, and even some rigidly mounted planters, may be too wide for transportation purposes, and further may not be capable of accommodating larger row units and/or wider spacing in between row units.
What is needed in the art is an agricultural planter that more efficiently balances various field requirements with transportation parameters.